The Feminist Bookworm

I finally sat down to discuss the elephant in the bookshop: ARCs.  ARCs. What are ARCs? ARCs (sometimes called galleys) are Advanced Reading Copies of books that are given to reviewers, bloggers, booksellers, librarians, etc.- people who work in the industry- so that they can provide early reviews, garner buzz for titles, decide whether or not to carry a title (that’s specific to booksellers), and figure out who to recommend a specific book to, among many other things.   This explanation is quite long, so bear with me.   So where do we- where do I- get ARCs? The answer is always the same: through the publisher in some capacity.   The only exceptions to this are if the author personally sends you an ARC for some reason, one of which is that you may have one a giveaway. The other exception is if you purchase an ARC on ebay. And selling ARCs is ILLEGAL, so don’t do it.   Anyways, whether we get ARCs through a publicist, a ...

**This post is being sponsored by Wednesday Books and Macmillan for the release of Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, which comes out January 21st!** I love a good rom-com! I was so excited when Wednesday Books reached out to me to see if I'd like to be part of the blog tour for Tweet Cute, a YA re-imagining of You've Got Mail! I'm actually a film major, and while I love rom-coms, I'm not funny enough to write the screenplay (or book?) for one :(. Of course, I still love to read them, and Tweet Cute was an absolute delight! It was so cute and so fun and you should add this to your TBR immediately! Emma was kind enough to do a Q&A with me about the book, rom-coms, her favorite ships, and more! T hank you so much to Emma Lord for taking part in this Q&A with me!  Tweet Cute  comes out THIS TUESDAY, so be sure to pick up a copy! 1.     How would you describe Tweet Cute using only pop culture references (ex: Gilmore Girls meets Pretty Little ...

T HIS. BOOK. WAS. AMAZING!!! I have so much to say about this book! But where do I start? I'll start with this: if you HATE Sarah J. Maas, if you don't like her writing, if you don't like the type of stories she writes, this book isn't going to fix that for you. But if you're someone who is what I call SJM neutral, if you maybe have struggled with her lack of diversity and alpha-male characters, this book really, really remedies that, so I say give it a shot! And if you really like urban fantasy, give this a shot! And if you are already a SJM fan, you will likely love this! House of Earth and Blood takes place in a modern fantasy world that is reminiscent of the Roman Empire. Imagine if the Roman Empire had never fallen, add in magic and modern technology (cell phones, cars, helicopters, etc.) and every single paranormal, magical creature you can think of (fae, vampires, shape-shifters, angels, mermaids, etc.) and you've got Crescent City. It's A...

Annual End of Year Reading Survey! Jame from The Perpetual Page Turner  started this awesome tradition that allows you to reflect on the books you've read during the year, and I absolutely love it and look forward to doing it at the end of every year! So here's mine! 2019 Reading Stats: Number of Books Read: 123 Number of Re-Reads: 6 Genre You Read the Most From: YA "Contemporary" (YA that wasn't SF/F) Best in Books: Best book you read in 2019?        Know My Name by Chanel Miller Book you thought you were going to love more but didn't?        Rebel by Marie Lu Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read?        The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg Book you "pushed" the most people to read (and they did)?        Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Best series you started in 2019? Best sequel of 2019? Best series ender of 2019?        Se...

I am so excited to be working with Penguin Random House Canada for the blog tour of The Grey Sisters by Jo Treggiari! The Grey Sisters is a psychological YA thriller (perfect for fans of Sadie and The Cheerleaders ) about two friends, D and Spider, who return to the scene of a deadly plane crash that took the life of D's sister, after D comes across a photograph that makes her believe her sister is somehow still alive. I got to do a Q&A with Jo about The Grey Sisters , her writing process, and how much fun it is working at a bookstore! 1. How would you pitch The Grey Sisters using only pop culture references? Little Women meets Deliverance . 2. What was the inspiration behind The Grey Sisters ? I was on a road trip with two friends and we were out in the middle of nowhere. It really began to feel as if the trees and mountains were encroaching on us. I made a joke about ‘how would we know if someone was watching our every move?’ and just like that, boom! Plus I...

**A version of this review will appear in the Fall 2019 print edition of the Cornell Book Review.** Remember how I said I'd bet money on the fact that Red, White & Royal Blue would be my favorite book of 2019? Well... it's still my favorite novel (key word :/) of the year! And to be fair, this book wasn't even announced until about 3 weeks before publication!  Anyways... Chanel Miller's Know My Name is now my favorite book of the year. It may not have been as "enjoyable" as RWRB, but it is unquestionably the best book I've read all year.  “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here,” writes the woman then known only as Emily Doe in her victim impact statement that was read around the world and even on the floor of congress. The woman, who had been sexually assaulted by then-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, reveals her identity in her new memoir, Know My Name : Chanel Miller. Miller herself is not just a victim....